You’re flying a small plane when the Earth stops spinning for 10 seconds, then starts spinning again. What do you do?

You're flying a small plane when the Earth stops spinning for 10 seconds, then starts spinning ag… by Richard Muller

Answer by Richard Muller:

Prepare for death. If you are flying at 10,000 ft, you have less than 2 seconds to live.

The sudden stopping of the Earth will generate an extremely intense shock wave in the air. It will move up from the surface at a velocity somewhat greater than the speed of sound. If the ground is 10,000 ft below, then the shock wave will hit you in under 2 seconds. When it does, your plane will undergo an intense jerk and you will be smashed against the walls of the plane.

If you assume that the air stops too, then you will be moving at about 1000 mph through the air, well above Mach 1, and your airplane will be smooshed immediately.